Vibration-resistant support for laboratory balances or the like



RESISTANT SUPPORT FOR LABORATORY BALANcEs OR TRE LIKE Filed Oct. 30, A19555 Nov. 12, 1957 P W CARTER 2,812,989

l VIBRATION- United States Patent O VIBRATION-RESISTANT SUPPORT FOR LABORA- TORY BALANCES OR THE LIKE Parke W. Carter, Gary, Ind., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 30, 1953, Serial No. 389,221 1 Claim. (Cl. 311-39) The present invention relates generally to the installation of delicate apparatuses such as laboratory balances and the like and more particularly to vibration-resistant supports for such apparatuses.

Modern industrial mills, such as steel mills, usually include a laboratory wherein chemical and physical control work is carried on. Ordinarily the laboratory is located in or near the central area of the mill so as to be convenient to all units thereof. The necessity of locating the laboratory within the mill has created serious problems affecting the eflicient operation of the laboratory equipment. One of the more serious shortcomings has been the problem of the effect of vibration upon the delicate laboratory apparatuses. This problem has been particularly acute in connection with the use of laboratory balances in the chemical laboratory due to the necessarily frequent use thereof in conducting routine control analyses and tests. As is well known, laboratory balances are delicate instruments easily affected by environmental iniluences. For example, the vibrations caused by the operation of nearby heavy machinery or passing locomotives and trains seriously impair the efficiency of laboratory balances.

Although various means have been devised in efforts to overcome the eifect of detrimental environmental influences on such delicate mechanisms, none have proved entirely satisfactory up to the time of my invention. Such means included a solid brick column support which was based upon the laboratory floor and extended upwardly through an opening in the laboratory table. Such measures proved to be of no avail when vibrations, no matter however slight, were set up in the laboratory floor.

l propose to overcome the foregoing difficulties by providing a suspended support for delicate apparatuses wherein the waves of vibration set up by surrounding causes will be dissipated before reaching the instrument itself.

It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide a vibration-resistant support for delicate apparatuses wherein the apparatus is supported on a table which in turn is carried by a platform suspended by vibrationresistant or absorbing means.

This and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line II-Il of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line lll-Ill of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2 designates a conventional laboratory table having a hole or opening 4 let in the top thereof. The support of my invention, which is generally designated by the reference numeral 6, is disposed beneath the opening or hole 4 and includes a substantially rectangular frame 8. The frame 8 may be made up of four spaced 2,812,989 Patented Nov.V 12, 1957 ice positioned vertically with their the laboratory floor to form the four corners of a rectangle. The four angle members 10 may be stabilized in position by means of cross braces 14. A cap plate 16 having a hole therethrough is welded or otherwise rigidly affixed to the top of each of the four angle members 10. An eye bolt 18 is threaded through each of the cap plates 16 with the eye 20 of the bolt depending downwardly therefrom. Each of the eye bolts 18 is provided with nuts 22 so that the eye bolt may be adjusted and locked into position. A strand 24, preferably of hemp rope, is attached to and depends from each of the eyes 20 of the eye bolts 18. The rope strands 24 are substantially equal in length and are fastened by their lower ends to the four corners of a supporting platform 26 by means of eye bolts 28. The eye bolts 28 are provided with nuts 30 so that they may be locked in position. The eye bolts 18 are ofsuicient length so that they may be adjusted to adjustably raise or lower the height of the platform 26. Bumpers 32 made of rubber or similar resilient material are mounted in spaced relation on the inside of the lower cross braces 14 adjacent the supporting platform 26. An angle bracket 34 having a threaded hole therethrough is tixedly mounted on the supporting platform 26 opposite each of the bumpers 32. A bolt 36 having a lock nut 38 threaded thereon is threaded through the hole in each of the brackets so as to project towards the bumper adjacent thereto. Each of the bolts 36 is adjusted to provide a minute clearance between the bumper and the end of the bolt. Thus while the lateral movement of the platform 26 is restricted or minimized, the minute clearance between the end of each of the bolts 36 and the corresponding bumper permits the platform 26 to hang freely suspended by the rope strands 24. The area of the outer face of each of the bumpers 32 is large enough so that the end of each of the bolts 36 is opposed to a portion of the face of the bumper when the height of the platform 26 is adjusted to any position within the limits of the adjustable eye bolts 18.

A table 4t), made of wood and including a top support surface 42, legs 44, and cross braces 46, is carried by the platform 26. The hole 4 in the laboratory table 2 is of sufficient size to allow the top support surface 42 of the table to pass freely through it. The position of the top support surface of the table in relation to the top of the laboratory table is adjusted by means of the eye bolts 18.

In assembling the support of my invention care must be used to insure positive bearing of the legs 44 of the table on the support platform 26. After the top support surface 42 of the table has been brought into the desired relation with the top of the laboratory table, a balance 4S or any other instrument desired can then be positioned on the top support surface 42. After the balance has been positioned, it may be leveled by conventional leveling screws 5i) supplied for such purpose.

The structure described has been found to provide an efcient shock and vibration-absorbing support for balances and other delicate laboratory apparatuses detrimentally affected by vibration and shock. The eiiiciency of the device described is in large measure due to the vibration dampening of the rope strands which hold the supporting platform 26 in suspension. Although not essential to the efficient functioning of the support of my invention, it is believed that the vibration dampening of the wood from which the table is made adds somewhat to the efciency of functioning of my invention.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In a laboratory table having a hole let in the top theremetal angle members 10 lower ends 12 grouted to of` the combination therewith of a vibration-resistant support comprising an" upright rectangularframe' having a substantially open top disposed below the hole in said laboratory table, said frame including an inwardly directed generally horizontal ilang' at each of the"cor`ners"o'f the upper portion thereof, a hemp rope strand *attached to' and depending from each of said flanges, asppoitiiig platform*V disposed within -said frameattaczhedl to and carried Y by the free ends of said hemp rope 'strands below the level of the top of said table, said hemp rope strands beingatta'ched to said flanges and said supporting platform by adjustable means whereby the height of said support p'latform may be adjusted relativeto'the height of said table, a plurality of elastic bumpers mounted'in spaced relation in a common plane on the innerv Walls o'f said frame adjacent saidV supporting platform, av plurality of brackets mounted onsaid support platform, each of said brackets being mounted adjacent a bumper, a pin adjustably carried by each of said brackets With one end projecting toward one of said bumpers, and a table having a top support surface carried by said support platform with said top support surface projecting through the open top of said frame, said top surface being disposed in the hole in said laboratory table and constituting a continuation of the top of said laboratory table.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES` PATENTS 

